In recent years, polygonal-shaped weightlifting plates having six, eight or twelve flat outer edges have grown in popularity, and have increasingly replaced traditional weightlifting plates having circular edges. The increasingly predominant use of polygonal weightlifting plates has presented challenges when the weightlifting plates are used for deadlifts, clean and press, clean and jerk, snatches, rowing, and other exercises in which the barbell loaded with the plates is picked up and returned to the floor of the gym. When the barbell is in motion above the floor, the weightlifting plates often rotate due to the bending and other forces transmitted from the barbell to the plates. The plates on the left side of the barbell may rotate by a different amount and/or in a different direction than the plates on the right side of the barbell. When multiple plates are loaded on either side of the barbell, the plates on either side of the bar may rotate by different amounts. As a result, when the loaded barbell is returned to the floor during an exercise, the polygonal-shaped plates are offset relative to each other, causing the loaded barbell to displace toward the user's legs or away from the user, on one or both sides.
The seemingly random displacement of the loaded barbell when it touches the floor is inconvenient at best and injurious at worst. Such repeated displacement can cause scrapes and bruises to the user's legs, back sprains, shoulder sprains, and loss of coordination and balance during repetitions. There is a need and desire for a device which alleviates these problems and is convenient to use and carry.